Official Historical Campaign "Iron Wind"

[BlackSix]

Iron Wind

By the end of the summer of 1942, the balance on the Eastern Front had shifted back in favor of Nazi Germany and its allies. After inflicting several heavy defeats on the Red Army, the enemy advanced rapidly in an attempt to break through to the Caucasian oil fields and Stalingrad. On August 23, the forward troops of the XIV Panzer Corps of the 6th Field Army of Army Group "B" reached the northern outskirts of the city. A massive bombardment of Stalingrad began, while the German 4th Panzer Army fought its way from the southwest, smashing the defenses. The city seemed lost.

On August 19, the 287th Fighter Aviation Division arrived at the Stalingrad Front to join the 8th Air Army and arrange the repeated military tests of the newest La-5 fighters. As a senior pilot and then as a flight commander of the 27th Fighter Aviation Regiment, you will take part in the most intense and dramatic episodes of the defense of the city. The pilots of the 287th Aviation Division had to do battle with superior enemy forces from the very beginning in order pass the most difficult stage of the battle of Stalingrad with honor.

Timeframe: August 24th – October 28th, 1942
Unit: 27th IAP of 287th IAD
Available aircraft: La-5 series 8
Duration: 15 missions
Average playtime: 8 hours
Languages: English, Spanish and Russian
Author: Alexander =BlackSix= Timoshkov

This campaign requires IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad - Premium Edition or IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad and La-5 series 8 Collector Plane. 

  

The story is based on the most up-to-date research and archives data and can be divided into three large parts. The beginning of the story centers around the Soviet command's first attempts to stop the enemy's breakthrough to the Volga River and repulse the devastating Luftwaffe bomber raids on Stalingrad in late August that razed the city to the ground.

  

The middle of the campaign is focused on the first German assault on the city during early Fall. Numerous air battles with Romanian I.A.R. 80-A and 80-B fighters are waiting for you: their massed use at the Stalingrad front started just at this time.

  

Then the story will move to October 1942. Having been promoted to the rank and the long-awaited position of a flight commander, you will take part in the decisive battles that unfolded during the third and final assault on Stalingrad launched by the enemy. The total lack of aircraft in the VVS regiments and the dominance of Luftwaffe in the air became a real test for Soviet pilots.

  

Special thanks to E69_Cananas and DN308 for translating the briefings into Spanish and French.
A huge and detailed review of the campaign by ShamrockOneFive

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[Kubert]

Past week I finished this campaign. Two times in row actually. First time I died twice, that's unacceptable, so second playthrough was needed.  And that was clean without stupid mistakes. Not saying easy...except enemy fighters, environment wanted me dead as well. Already in mission three, bomber almost crashed into me while taxiing out of runway...

Spoiler

...in mission four enemy used film trick against me and disappeard in a second, literally in front of me. Well, look by yourself. It is only minute long video and if somebody knows explain to me where did he go, I am all ears. 

After that, some circles with his buddy, a diving away as a coward and landing, my engine went out of fuel just three seconds before I wanted to turn it off. Pure luck, isn't it? 

Beyond that only near death situation was on the way home from mission 13...random flak hit me with barrage.  Landing with wing full of hole was...interesting. 

Spoiler

It is fun campaign. Difficulty wise, I would put it between Blazing Steppe and Sky Nomads. La-5, to me, is more challanging than Yaks, but encounters with enemies overall felt easier than in Sky Nomads. Probably because more BF-109Es and I.A.Rs were involved than BF-109Gs. I am not complaining though. 

Good job. 

 

Edited December 22, 2025 by Kubert

[Ulricus]

@BlackSix,
Thx again for this fine campaign. As said in my comment on "Blazing Steppe" (old forum), the LaGG-3 was a good preparation/transition to the variant La-5 in "Iron Wind" - aside from the switch from line to radial engine. And as you remarked in your reply the 7-year difference between these two campaigns, the improvements are clearly noticeable, which are listed in more detail in ShamrockOneFive Stormbirds campaign review of Iron Wind.

Nevertheless, all the positive aspects that I appreciated in Blazing Steppe still remain: Your pilot's narrative (including historical background) in the briefing, the summary of important task details at the end of the briefing (good to combine with the overview map), your well-designed and informative flight maps and your unique style of plane labeling. Seems that you follow here a standard, which is to my taste and draw my focus on all your other campaigns.    

Obviously the FM of the heavier La-5 s8 is different to the Yak-1 - not at least because of La-5's radial engine. Forward visibility is reduced compared to the inline engines used in LaGG-3 and the Yaks, but this is well compensated by the gain in power and top speed. After getting used (Requiem & Flight School), I'm impressed by the easy handling and the good flying characteristics. Ok, due to the IMHO reduced turning ability it was wise to avoid cranky dogfights with Bf 109s and IAR 80s, but dive speed and fire power of two 20mm cannons enables boom and zoom tactics!

It was fun to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the La-5, what increased my interest to check out the FMs of the successors in my inventory. Unfortunately, there is no campaign like this one for the La-5F and La-5FN. So I started a Kuban map career with the 32nd GIAP, which had both models in its inventory (from July 1943). Successfully, because handling the FMs of both further developments was also very interesting and fun. And the Kuban theater was also a good transition to the remaining Soviet fighters campaign "Sky Nomads", featuring the Yak-7B, whose activities took place a month earlier. Again, I'm quite curious.

Iron Wind (La-5)

Career (La-5F)

Career (La-5FN)

Edited Wednesday at 10:13 PM by Ulricus

[BlackSix]

@Ulricus

Thank you very much for your feedback, I'm glad you liked it))

9 hours ago, Ulricus said:

Unfortunately, there is no campaign like this one for the La-5F and La-5FN.

The opportunity to create such a historical campaign only recently arose with the release of the Odessa 1944 map. I hope someone will create it.